74-Year-Old Woman Killed by Python in Central Indonesia: Third Fatal Attack This Year

A 74-year-old woman was reportedly found dead in central Indonesia, having been attacked by a 13-foot python. Police identified the victim as Maga, a local who, like many Indonesians, is known by just one name. Concerns rose when she failed to return home on Wednesday, prompting a search by her relatives.

Woman dies in python attack

The police in Palopo city, South Sulawesi province, reported that the woman was discovered with bite marks on her head and legs. Maga had gone to work in the fields near her family home when the incident occurred. Awaluddin, the head of Padang Lambe district in Palopo, stated that she was found in Padang Lambe by her daughter, with the snake just a few feet away from her body. Unfortunately, the woman had already succumbed to her injuries, presumed to be the result of being constricted and bitten by the snake.

Local Response and Further Incidents

The local community took swift action by killing the snake they believe to be responsible for the attack. Residents reported that the victim had been swallowed up to her shoulders and subsequently vomited out. This incident marks the third reported death due to python attacks in the province since June.

While fatalities caused by large constrictors are rare, there have been several incidents where pythons have claimed the lives of individuals in Indonesia in recent years. This includes two other cases involving women since June alone. In a tragic incident last month, a woman was found dead inside the belly of a snake after it had swallowed her whole in Siteba village, South Sulawesi province. The victim, a 36-year-old mother, had gone missing after leaving her house to purchase medicine for her sick child. Another case in June involved a woman found dead inside the belly of a reticulated python in a different district of South Sulawesi.

Graphic videos surfaced on social media, depicting the snake being cut open in a wooded area and the woman's body being carried past distressed villagers. Additionally, last year, residents in the province dealt with an eight-meter python that had been found strangling and consuming one of the farmers in a village. Furthermore, in 2022, a woman in Jambi province was also reportedly killed and swallowed whole by a python, according to local media.

Reticulated Pythons and Aggressive Behavior

Reticulated pythons, known scientifically as Malayopython reticulatus, can grow to over 20 feet long, making them the longest snakes in the world. They are native to Southern Asia and have gained a reputation for being aggressive. Zoo Atlanta, which houses reticulated pythons, has acknowledged their aggressive nature.